Beautiful Shadows
by Yamiyo.Darknight
Summary: WARNING: Rated M for character deaths and gore! Full disclaimer inside! Despairing after he is cheated on by his lover of seven years, Arthur Kirkland meets a stranger who sympathizes with him and promises that he can teach him how to cope. Not everything is as it seems and blood is spilled. Pairing: Spain x England, Human names used
1. Chapter 0: Shatter

**Hey guys, this is a new short story I'm working on. It's based (very loosely) on a dream I had. By very I mean VERY. Anyways, this will NOT be a cheery story at all, so don't expect anything fluffy and heart-warming, cuz this story is not it. There will be multiple character deaths and blood and gore, so if that's not your cup of tea, then I would suggest not reading this story. It is not for you.**

**Also, the main pairing is Spain x England (Human names used). Past UsUk, Spamano. It's not a pairing I lean toward, but I felt it worked the best for this story. I don't want to hear any complaints about it being a stupid pairing since I'm not using these two without reason. No unnecessary flaming or anything like that. I don't want to hear anyone bitch at me because they don't like the pairing, etc. Keep that to yourself.**

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Chapter 0:

Shatter

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It was a dark, rainy night... The perfect type of night to drown your sorrows in a bar. The building was small and dimly lit inside, but it was classy with the light scent of candle wax and old books. Those scents were the main reasons Arthur Kirkland liked being in there. They were homely scents that made him feel at peace... Usually. At the moment they had no effect on his horrible mood.

Now, normally, he wasn't nearly as temperamental and irate as he was now. But there was a reason. He'd found out that his long time lover of seven years had been cheating on him for nearly just as long. So while he'd been thinking they'd had a loving, happy relationship, it had just been a huge complete and utter lie. _He'd_ been a complete and utter fool.

They'd met in high school, and while Arthur was the reclusive student, Alfred was the sunny and popular one. They amazingly seemed to get along very well and after a year, they decided to get together and start dating. Seven years later, the week before present day, Alfred invited him out only to end up revealing his true nature.

So now he sat here in this bar, drinking his sorrows away as if there was no tomorrow. Unfortunately, the alcohol didn't seem to be helping his mood at all. The depression still sat heavily on him and weighed him down. All he could think about was how _bluntly_ and _cruelly_ Alfred had decided to reveal the fact to him.

The invite had only played out as an event to crush the blonde. He knew that he wasn't exactly the prettiest face to look at, but everything Alfred had told him made him think otherwise... Until it happened. Alfred had also invited a girl that Arthur had never seen before. He thought nothing of it, believing she was a friend at the college Alfred was going to. And she was beautiful, petite. He wasn't.

When they openly started flirting with each other in front of him, Arthur felt something snap. What that was, he still didn't know, but it hurt.

He pulled Alfred aside, demanding to know what was going on, and was horrified to see the lack of compassion in those sky-colored eyes he'd loved so much.

"I thought it'd be easier to show you rather than trying to explain. I'm bad

with words."

Yes. Those were his exact words.

Not, "I'm sorry I don't think we're working out" or "it's a misunderstanding, it's a joke". Nothing other than that. Not that either of those were exactly the greatest excuses, but they wouldn't have been nearly as cruel as what he _had_ been told.

He'd felt horrified to say the least and the feeling of betrayal was the most painful thing he'd ever thought he'd felt in his life. It felt like he'd had his heart ripped out and thrown back to his feet, only to have it stomped on and smashed. That was the worst feeling he'd ever had, and he didn't realize how much one's heart could hurt. He didn't realize how much betrayal could hurt someone. And he wasn't exactly grateful that he now knew.

"Excuse me, señor. Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

Arthur flinched and looked up sullenly at the man standing next to him before heaving a sigh, waving his hand dismissively. "Do what you like. I won't stop you." He downed another glass of scotch like it was water, slamming the small glass on the surface of the counter he was leaning on. "Not like it matters anyways."

"Oh? And why is that?"

Arthur huffed and waited for his glass to be refilled before answering. "Not like anyone cares if I'm around anyways. Probably better if people ignore me. Don't wanna deal with 'em."

The man seemed to be intrigued by the response and sat himself in the seat next to the blond. "Well now, it seems like something happened to you recently. Mind telling me? I won't force you, but I'm beginning to think we might have something in common."

The blonde snorted and downed the glass, already long having lost count of how many he'd had that night alone. "Che, I doubt it."

"Try me, señor. You may never know."

Arthur glared at the man, though the expression could hardly instill any fear when he had a flushed face and a lack of grace for the moment. Deciding that arguing over the matter was useless, he turned back to stare mournfully at his empty glass. "I was dating someone for over seven years. . . turned out I was being cheated on the whole time, too. And then the bastard has to go and fucking flirt with that bitch right in front of me so I get the idea, and he doesn't even fucking apologize and he just. . ."

There was a bit of a silence and Arthur could feel his eyes sting with tears that he felt should have dried out days ago. "He didn't even care. I was just a convenient toy for him to use."

"Hmm, I suppose we really do have something in common then." The man replied, smiling at Arthur sadly, though there was something in those emerald eyes he didn't quite understand. "I had something very similar happen to me a few months ago."

Arthur looked at him with surprise, eyes widening. "D-did you now?" He crossed his arms with a frown. "You don't seem too upset with that. You just recover fast or what?"

The man smiled more widely, and something about it sent a chill down Arthur's spine. "I found a way to cope with it, amigo. There are ways to deal with those kinds of things." He placed a hand on the blonde's shoulder, squeezing gently. "And if you'd like, I can help you get over that. . . man."

Mind in a daze, Arthur hesitated to respond. "Y-you're not suggesting a one-night stand are you? I'm not into things like that."

The man laughed, eyes sparkling with amusement. "No, amigo. That's not what I meant. I just want to help you since you remind me of how I was when I was in the same predicament. I have no ill intentions towards you."

"I-I see." Arthur contemplated the idea for a moment, wondering if he should really trust this stranger. Of course, the alcohol didn't help at all, but Arthur decided he'd take his chances. He had already hit rock bottom, so there was nowhere to go but up. "That'd be great actually. Thank you, um. . ."

"Antonio Fernandez Carriedo. You can just call me Antonio," the man replied, playfully slapping Arthur on the back. "And what might your name be?"

"Arthur. . . Arthur Kirkland."

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**Short cuz of Prologue chapter. Hopefully someone actually bothered to read this.**

**Reviews, critiques, favs, etc are loved. As said at the top, flaming is NOT. I don't tolerate bullshit and I WILL fight back if you start acting like a prick.**

**I really would like some feedback on this story as it continues, as I want to know what everyone thinks of this storyline/style of writing. Please help this author/artist to improve her work and leave me your opinions as long as you _follow my guidelines and remain polite_!**

**Until next chapter. . .**


	2. Chapter 1: Foolish Desire

**Chapter one finally here. . . College is being a real bitch with all the final projects being dumped on us. I have a 6-10 page essay due on monday and then I have to edit a video I didn't think I was going to have to edit (luckily I have one other person working with me on it) but my teacher decided last second to dump it on us. I have to finish a web page, then model a character in 3D which means I'm not gonna have a fucking clue as to what I'm doing. Just. . . UGH. **

**I had to write some more to vent so expect the next chapter to be the start of where it gets darker in tone.**

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Chapter 1:

Foolish Desire

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Waking up the next morning was not a pleasant experience for Arthur. Not only did he have no idea where he was, but he had a throbbing headache and felt nauseous. He didn't bother sitting up, knowing that would end with some kind of horrible consequence. His vision needed to stop whirling around and maybe settle down so he could actually focus.

Rubbing his eyes with his hands, he tried to recall anything after the bar from the night before, and found that he couldn't. He remembered being at the bar, the drinking, the horrible thoughts and depression. . .

Right. He'd met that man. . . What was his name? It had started with an A hadn't it?

"Oh, you're up! That's great! I was wondering if maybe something was wrong since you've slept for 14 hours straight, but I guess you're okay then."

Arthur sat up quickly at the voice and immediately regretted doing so when his mind reeled and his stomach protested. With a weak groan, he lay back down on the bed, shutting his eyes so everything would stop spinning.

"Are you okay? I think you've got a pretty bad hangover."

The blonde groaned and opened one eye to look at the person who'd just startled him. "I certainly don't feel okay. Bloody hell, my head is killing me. . ."

"You should probably drink something to let that settle. I've got some medicine for you to take as well," the other replied with a smile as he held out a box of pills. "Should help to get rid of that headache of yours."

"I'd gladly take anything to make this damned headache disappear," Arthur groaned, taking the offered medicine. He popped them in his mouth and swallowed them without a second thought before flopping back down on the mattress. "Thank you."

"Te nada. I'm glad I was of help to you."

"Can you please remind me of your name? I can't remember for the life of me... I apologize if that offends you, but the alcohol doesn't exactly improve my memory all that well," the blonde grumbled, relaxing as he felt the pounding start to lessen.

The other laughed cheerfully, obviously not bothered by the fact. "It's quite alright. You got pretty drunk last night, so I'm not very surprised at all, actually." He adjusted himself where he was sitting before continuing. "Antonio Fernandez Carriedo."

"You Hispanics and your long names," Arthur complained, trying to ignore that Antonio was laughing again.

"Well, unless you plan on addressing me by my full name all the time, I don't see any need to be concerned about it," the brunette chuckled. "However, seeing as you're up, do you think you can stomach some food?"

As if on cue, Arthur's stomach let out a loud grumble. Blushing deeply with embarrassment, he nodded. "That'd be great actually..."

"Perfecto! I'll bring it in here for you," Antonio responded with a grin as he stood back up. "It won't take long."

"Wow. Breakfast in bed?" Arthur asked with a mixture of feigned and true surprise. "Can I keep you with me? I don't think anyone's been so nice to me."

The glimmer in the Spaniard's eye seemed to darken as did his smile. "Well," he mused, eyes raking over Arthur in a manner the blonde couldn't help but feel embarrassed under, "I might not mind if it's you." He winked and left the room, leaving Arthur to his, again, muddled thoughts.

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The food he'd been given had been the most delicious he'd ever eaten, and he made a point to reiterate that to Antonio whenever his mouth wasn't stuffed full of it. After he'd finished, they spent most of the time talking to each other about everything. Likes, dislikes, hobbies; they didn't bother to leave much of anything unsaid.

Within a couple hours it felt like Arthur knew everything he needed to about Antonio. He liked to cook (and was obviously good at it), clean (his house had been noticeably spotless), and was apparently a poet. The man seemed to love writing poems about many things, particularly about nature. He'd even let Arthur read some of his work, seeming to get excited when he was told they were well written.

In return, Arthur spoke about himself. He loved to read and write, though he wrote short stories rather than poetry. As much as he loved reading them, he didn't have the touch for creating a good poem. Baking was another hobby, though no one seemed to ever want to eat what he made (he still didn't get that) and he liked star gazing. He didn't know constellations but he liked just seeing the stars twinkle.

Rather than wanting to go home, Arthur wanted to stay with Antonio. There was something about his words and gaze that made him so frighteningly attractive and Arthur wasn't quite sure what it was, but he wanted to find out.

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Despite having to part ways, it became apparent that they couldn't keep away from each other. The two spent a lot of time together when they could, and Arthur soon found that his thoughts quickly had gone from being about Alfred and what he'd done to him, to Antonio and the hope they'd be around each other more.

Antonio didn't seem to mind either. The blonde never had to ask to go over when he was constantly being invited over to Antonio's in the first place. It was never a question of whether or not he was allowed there. It would be more of a question to why he wouldn't be there.

There were times where he got messages from the Hispanic man in the middle of the night, and though it would usually bother him, it never actually did. Not when his messenger was so sweet.

When the agonizingly bright light from hell flickered on from the small cell phone, Arthur sat up with an irritated groan. He turned on the lamp sitting on the wooden nightstand next to his bed before reading the text.

_**Received**__: Holá~ Ur awake rnt u? :)_

_**Sent**__: I am now, thank you very much._

_**Received**__: Aha! Lo siento! But since ur up we can talk now rite?_

_**Sent**__: If you insist. (He was smiling at this point, even if the texts he was receiving were horribly spelt.)_

_**Received**__: Ah~ U kno u wuv me!_

_**Sent**__: Don't be stupid. (There was no denying the blush covering his face.)_

_**Received**__: Ur blushing rnt you? Aha~ I can picture it~! (He really seemed to love using that damned squiggly mark...)_

_**Sent**__: Oh hush! I am not!_

_**Received**__: U are! U are! Don't lie to me~!_

Embarrassed that the other seemed to know him so well, he replied:

_**Sent**__: It doesn't matter if I am or not. What are you texting me for so late anyways?_

_**Received**__: Can't give u a good note kiss in person so I'm sending one by txt! 3 (´ε｀ __)_

_**Sent**__: You're an idiot and it's late so go to bed._

_**Received**__: I don't get 1 bak? （__; ）_

_**Sent**__: ... No comment._

_**Received**__: how mean~! (; A ;)_

_**Sent**__: Stop being childish and go to sleep._

_**Received**__: ( ; _ ; )/ ok..._

Arthur sighed with a exasperated smile. He knew there had to be a dejected face at the other side of the phone's screen.

_**Sent**__: Good night Antonio._

_**Received**__: Good night... ( ; _ ; )/_

He hesitated slightly before sending another message.

_**Sent**__: If I send you one back will you stop pouting?_

_**Received**__: ! ( ; v ; )_

Muttering under his breath, the blonde fiddled with the buttons on his phone before managing to accomplish his goal. He sent a picture of himself ( face still embarrassingly red) blowing a kiss.

_**Sent**__: I'm not doing this EVER again so you'd better be happy._

_**Received**__: \(/∇/)\ So lovely! I wuv u!_

_**Sent**__: Oh hush! I'm going to bed so I'd better not get any more messages until an appropriate time tomorrow._

_**Received**__: ok~! 3 Buenas noches!_

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**Yea, this chapter was pretty warm and whatever but this isn't going to last at all. Next chapter will be getting dark. Just warning ahead of time. **

**Reviews, favs, etc are very much appreciated. I always respond to reviews. Feel free to PM me with questions or whatever if you feel the need to. I don't bite.**

**Flaming will not be tolerated though. Don't ever flame.**


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